1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system and a method for controlling temperature of semiconductor devices that use system-on-chip (SOC) solutions. In particular, the present invention is directed to the use of predictive and dynamic thermal management techniques to control temperature of the semiconductor devices.
2. Background Art
Advances in designs of mobile application processors have resulted in these processors operating at higher frequencies (>2 GHz). At higher frequencies, processors generate more heat which damages semiconductor devices. Thus, thermal control, at these higher operating frequencies, is a matter of serious concern. Localized heating, in the form of hot spots, is observed in processors operating at higher frequencies (higher switching speeds). These hotspots increase the power density and the thermal vulnerability of the SOC design of the processor. Further, the hotspots cause thermal stress in components leading to increase in the junction temperatures. The increased junction temperatures can increase leakage power and can result in undesirable power-thermal loop. Conventional techniques employed to control temperature are not optimum and there is a need for better temperature control techniques.
One conventional technique is reactive (as opposed to predictive) and relies on thermal throttling to control the temperature. For example, in this reactive technique, a processor is allowed to run at full capacity. When an operating temperature is measured to exceed a thermal limit, the running capacity of the processor is reactively curtailed to reduce the operating temperature of the same. This reactive technique is not optimum because it degrades the performance of the processor and provides a limited time period to prevent a thermal runaway condition. This reactive correction requires a throttling system that is significantly and periodically calibrated.
Another known temperature control technique requires determining a highest performance condition of the processor based on application profile information of a given application, and reactively re-configuring the hardware for thermal safety when the highest performance condition is observed. This technique is not optimum because it is specific to an application, and must be duplicated for every application before being run on the processor. Implementation of this technique during operation can be very complex depending upon the processes required to be run by the application.
As such, there is a need for a better technique for controlling temperature of semiconductor devices that use SOC solutions.
The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing in which an element first appears is typically indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.